Release tool



y 1965 H. L. HAGLER 3,194,594

RELEASE TOOL Filed Sept- 9, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HEQBERT L. HAGL EQ BYSEMMES SEMMES ATTORNEY H. L. HAGLER RELEASE TOOL July 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1963 lm O F76 4 MENTOR HAGL 5Q HEQBEQT Z.

BY SEMME$ SEMME S ATTORNEY H. L. HAGLER RELEASE TOOL July 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 9, 1965 m. WWWWVMMZMHM w a a I N m INVENTOR .HEQBEQT L. HAQLEQ BYSEM/ /ES F SEN/WES ATTORNEY 3,194,594 RELEASE T001. Herbert L. Hagier, P.O. Box 4456, Midland, Tex. Filed Sept. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 307,431 10 Claims. (Cl. 237 119) The present invention relates to oil well tools, particularly a release tool for depositing an instrument or tool upon an obstruction or support within any type well.

Frequently in the process of testing oil or gas wells, it is desired to record pressures or temperatures at various predetermined points within the well bore. The present invention concerns a release tool which may be used in depositing an instrument or tool upon any obstruction or support within the tubing or casing of any type of well whether the well be for the production or injection of oil, gas, any petroleum product, or water. The release tool is attached to the instrument or tool to be deposited and then run into the well on a steel line. As the instrument is released, the release tool is recovered from the well.

The release tool comprises a top lifting member having an axial chamber and a lower releasable member telescoping within the axial chamber, the lower releasable member being attached to the instrument to be deposited. Means are provided for locking the lower releasable member being attached to the instrument to be deposited. Means are provided for locking the lower releasable member within thetop member during lowering and lifting and a trip wire is employed for releasing the lower member as it touches upon the obstruction. Locking means are also provided for preventing jamming of the lower releasable member into the top member when lowering and prior to release and a lifting locking means is provided for raising the entire assembly, even though the trip wire may have been accidentally tripped.

Accordingly, it is an object of invention to provide an oil well release tool having precise locking and release features.

Another object of invention is to provide an oil well release tool which may be locked against jamming.

Yet additional objects of invention will become apparent from the ensuing specification and attached drawings wherein: a

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the top lifting member and the bottom releasable member;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation showing the bottom releasable member partially telescoped within the top member;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section showing the upper section of the top lifting member removed for setting of the lower member lifting ball hearings in the top member axial chamber;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section showing the top and bottom members set for running of an instrument (not illustrated) into a well, ball bearings 18 resting on lifting shoulder 24;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section showing ball bearings 28 locking in peripheral groove 42 so as to prevent jamming within lower releasable portion within the axial chamber 16 of the top member; and

FIG. 7 is a vertical section showing the entire assembly in release position, ball bearings 18 resting upon release rim 36 prior to removal of the top member from the bottom releasable member.

In FIGS. 2 through 4 the release tool is illustrated as comprising a top lifting member having sections 26 and 14 threadedly engaged with one another and a telescoping lower portion 10 having an elongated portion 12 which telescopes within axial chamber 16. FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the positioning of elements as the instrument is being run into the well. Before running the entire assembly into the well, lower portion 10 is screwed on top of the tool or instrument to be deposited into the well. The elongated United States Patent 0 "ice portion 12 is pushed into inner chamber 16 as shown in FIG. 4. Steel balls 18 are then inserted into transverse bore 28, being positioned therein by compression spring 22 retained in place by hairpin-type spring 38 which is accessible by means of set-screw 40 in the top of portion 12. When lower portion 10 with steel balls 18 in place is drawn downwardly within chamber 16, spring 22 compresses the steel balls against the inner walls of chamber 16 as shown in FIG. 5. When steel balls 18 rest upon lifting shoulder 24 top piece 26 is then screwed into place onto piece 14. Steel balls 28 are then placed in outwardly inclined slot 36 cut in the wall of lower section 14. Tension or trip spring 32, pivoted by means of bolt 44, is pivoted upwardly against the top lifting member sections to hold ball 28 in place as shown in FIG. 5. That portion of trip spring 32 engaging ball 28 sits within trough 34 defined by opposed ridges 34 in the sides of lower section 14. When the entire assembly is placed in the tubing or casing of the well, spring 32 rides the wall of the tubing or casing and holds ball 28 in place against elongated portion 12.

The entire assembly may now be lowered within approximately 30 feet of the predetermined setting depth. Downward travel is stopped gradually and then the entire assembly is picked up or lifted a sufficient distance to allow tension spring 32 to encounter some recess or rough spot in the tubing or casing which will cause wire 32 to be bent or pivoted downwardly within trough 34, as shown in FIG. 7. The absence of tension spring 32 in trough 34 allows ball 28 to drop out. Now the assembly is lowered back down to the predeterimned setting depth as indicated by a known obstruction in the tubing or casing. When the instrument or tool screwed into the bottom of part 10 encounters the known obstruction, elongated portion 12 is telescoped upwardly into axial chamber 16 as shown on FIG. 7. Compression spring 22 forces balls 18 into the outwardly inclined release shoulder 36. Now with all locking restriction removed from inside of chamber 16, the tool lifting components 26 and 14 are lifted off of elongated portion 12, leaving the instrument or tool in place on the predetermined known obstruction.

If in the process of running the assembly into the tubing or casing some obstruction is encountered above the desired setting depth of the instrument or tool, elongated shaft 12 will be forced up inside chamber 16, then tension 1 spring 32 will force ball 18 into peripheral groove 42 in shaft 12, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The tapered outwardly inclined hole 30 in section 14 permits ball 28 to act as a stop to prevent shaft 12 from telescoping sufficiently in chamber 16 to release balls 18 onto release rim 36. The entire assembly may now be picked up which will trip wire 32 and release balls 28. As long as the upward movement is continued, the tool or instrument will not be released because balls 18 are maintained in place and resting on lifting locking shoulder 24. The entire assembly may be removed from the well and the undesired obstruction removed from inside the tubing or casing with the proper tools or equipment. After the obstruction is removed then the releasing procedure as outlined above can be accomplished.

Manifestly, various substitutions of parts may be employed without departing from the scope of invention which consists principally in the provision of precisely controllable locking features in a release tool, as defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

'1. An oil well release tool comprising:

(a) a top holding member having an axial chamber with an upper outwardly inclined release rim, a median inwardly inclined lifting shoulder and a transverse slot cut through the lower wall;

(b) a bottom releasable member telescoping within said axial chamber and attachable at itslower end as? a to a tool being deposited in said Well, said bottom releasable member having a transverse bore at its top and at least one peripheral locking groove at its mid-portion;

(c) lifting locking meanspositionedat either end of said bottom member transverse bore, said locking means being urged outwardly against the inner walls of said axial chamber and respectively onto said inwardly inclined lifting shoulder and said outwardly inclined release rim; and

(c1) telescoping locking means positioned in said transverse slot in the lower wall of said top member and urged through said slot against said telescoping bottom releasable member and into said peripheral locking groove.

2. An oil well release tool as described in claim 1, said telescoping locking means including a tension spring pivoted upon the outside of said top member against said locking means and said bottom releasable portion during lowering of said tool and said tension spring being pivotable away from said locking means and said bottom releasable member upon lifting of said tool within said well.

3. An oil well release tool as in claim 2, said lifting means including ball bearings urged to protrusion from little end of said transverse compression spring both onto said inwardly inclined liftingshoulder and onto said outwardly'inclined portion together with said top portion in said Well and said top shoulder release shoulder, according to the degree of telescoping of said bottom releasable member within said top holding member.

4. An oil well release tool as in claim 3, said compression spring in said transverse bore being stabilized by clip means insertable transversely of said bore through the top of said lower member.

5. An oil well release tool as in claim 4, said top holding member comprising upper and lower sections threadedly engageable one with the other, said lower section being shorter than the telescopingportion of said bottom releasable member. 7

6. An oil well release tool comprising:

(a) a top holding member having an axial chamber with-an upper, outwardly inclined release rim within said chamber, a median, inwardly inclined lifting shoulder and an outwardly inclined slot cut through its lower Wall;

(b) a bottom releasable member telescoping within said chamber and attachable at its lower end to a tool being deposited in saidwell, said bottom releas-' able member having a transverse bore at its top and at least one peripheral-telescoping locking groove at its mid-portion; V

(c) lifting ball bearingmeans positionable at either end of said transverse bore and urgeable outwardly by a compression spring means insertable within said bore, said lifting ball bearingmeans being urged against the inner walls of said axial chamber and into said inwardly inclined lifting shoulder and said outwardly inclined release rim, according to the degree of telescoping of said bottom releasable member within said top holding member; and

(dllocking ball bearing means mounted in said outwardly inclined slot and urgeable against said telescoping portion of said lower memberand into said peripheral locking groove by a tension spring pivoted upon the outside of said top member.

7. An oil well release tool as in claim 6, said tension spring being pivotable downwardly and outwardly so as torelease said locking ball bearing upon lifting of said tool, said lower releasable member then being telescopable within said axial chamber of said top lifting member.

8. A11 oil well release tool as in claim '7, said top lifting member including upper and lower sections threadedly" "'engageable with one another, said upper section including said outwardly inclined releaserim in its axial chamber portion and said lower section being shorter than the telescoped portion of said bottom releasable member and including said inwardly inclined lifting-shoulder and said outwardly inclined transverse slot.,

9. An oil well release tool as in claim 8, said tension spring engaging the inner wall of said well and being pivotable downwardly upon lifting of said instrument in said well. 1 V

10. An oil well release tool as in claim 9, said compression spring in said transverse slot being stabilized by slip means insertable transversely of said'borethrough the top of said lower portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,409,811 10/46 Taylor Q 166125 2,776,015 1/57 Bielstein 166 125 X 2 ,978,032 4/61 Hanna 166-125 X 3,153,547 10/64 Chancellor 285-18 3,157,119 11/ 64 Porter 16663 X ,CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN OIL WELL RELEASE TOOL COMPRISING: (A) A TOP HOLDING MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL CHAMBER WITH AN UPPER OUTWARDLY INCLINED RELEASE RIM, A MEDIAN INWARDLY INCLINED LIFTING SHOULDER AND A TRANSVERSE SLOT CUT THROUGH THE LOWER WALL; (B) A BOTTOM RELEASABLE MEMBER TELESCOPING WITHIN SAID AXIAL CHAMBER AND ATTACHABLE AT ITS LOWER END TO A TOOL BEING DEPOSITED IN SAID WELL, SAID BOTTOM RELEASABLE MEMBER HAVING A TRANSVERSE BORE AT ITS TOP AND AT LEAST ONE PERIPHERAL LOCKING GROOVE AT ITS MID-PORTION; (C) LIFTING LOCKING MEANS POSITIONED AT EITHER END OF SAID BOTTOM MEMBER TRANSVERSE BORE, SAID LOCKING MEANS BEING URGED OUTWARDLY AGAINST THE INNER WALLS OF SAID AXIAL CHAMBER AND RESPECTIVELY ONTO SAID 